Flour dust collecting balloon



(N o Model-) S. L. BEAN.

- FLOUR DUST COLLECTING BALLOON. No. 258,876; Patented June 6, 1882.

' UNITED-STATES PATENT owes.

SAMUEL L. BEAN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

FLOUR-DUST-COLLECDTIINVG BALLOON.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,876, dated ane 6,1852,

Application filed November-16,1850. (No model.)

Dust-Gollecting Balloons; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters or figures of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specificatiom This invention relates toballoons for collecting and grading flour-dust in mills, such asdescribed in my applications for United States Letters Patent filed May24,1S80,'and ()cthber 7, 1880, wherein theskeleton frame-woi-k'iscovered with reticulated cloth, stretched zigzag fashion over the bars'of the frame-work, thus forminga stellated structure, the pointsor' angles of which constitute separating-chambers for separating theflour-dust from the dustladen air, and within which angles orseparating-chambers the dust is retained, while/the air is permitted toescape through the cloth covered sides thereof.

The object of the invention is to intermittently suspend the action ofthe air-current in one or more of the angles or separating-chambers ofthe stellated balloon at a time, so that the dust which has collectedupon the clothcovered sides of said angles or separating-chambers willbe relieved from the pressure of air and the cloth be more readily freedfrom dust by the action of the knocker.

To this end theinvention consists in provid ing a traveling gate orother suitable means for intermittently shutting olf the current ofdust-laden air, or practically so, from one or more of the dust-siftingangles or separating chambers at a time.

It further consists in combining with said gate a knocker adapted togive a trembling vibration to one or more of the angles orseparating-chambers just as the air-currentis shut 0E therefrom.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a stellateddust-catching balloon embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 shows inelevation one form of the device for simultaneously shutting oft'theair-currentfrom two angles or se 'iarating-chambers and imparting atrembling vibration to the angles or separating-chambers so isolated. V

The same letters of reference aroused in all the figurcsin thedesignation ofidentioal parts. A refers to the reticulated cloth, whichis stretched over the peripheral ba'rsB and inner bars, G, in suchmanner as to form a steilated balloon having aseries ofradially-arranged chambers or angles, A, open at their inner sides, asshown. A vertical shaft, D, is

arranged centrally within the balloon, its lower end resting in a stepor socket, and is rotated by means of belt and pulley on'the exterior oftheballoon, or in any other preferred manner.

To the shaft D are keyed arms d, which carry on their outer ends a frameor gate, E,-

adapted to move in such close proximity to the inner bars, 0, as topractically close the en-' 't-rai'ice'to the'angles orseparating-chambers A successively, and thus prevent the passage of theair-currents from the interior of the balgloon tothe said angles orseparating-chambers.

'This'gate E, I prefer to make of such size that- ,it will close twoangles or separating-chambers Eat a tinie.'- A wing, E, is secured tothe" bot-' tom of the gate 'E, extending to the outer sides of theangles or separating-chan1bers. This wing is arranged to move closelyunder the bottoms of the angles or. separating-chambers A, and preventthe passage of air-currents thereto. To one of the arms, cl, is pivoteda knocker, I actuated by a spring, f. The free end of the knockerextends outwardh through a slot in gate E. The slot is of such size asto permit the free end of the knocker F to be moved inward sufficientlyto allow it to pass the inner line of the bars U. Upon the rotation ofthe vertical shaft in the direction indicated by the arrow the knockcrwill be forced inward by its contact with one of the inner bars 0; butby the continued rotation of said shaft, the knocker, becoming freedfrom the bar 0, will be impelled by the action ofthe spring against thenext adjacent bar with some force, thus causing a trembling vibration ofsaid bar and to the cloth-covered sides of the an gleorseparatin g-chamber on each side thereof. This vibration will cause the dust which hasaccumalated on the cloththe flat-surfaced wing E of gate E, and is sweptor scraped off by the bottom edges of the chambers into the bottom ofthe balloon, to be conducted thence to the proper receptacle. Theknockeris so arranged with relation to the gate E and its wing E, thatthe two angles or separating-chambers nearest to the bar which receivesthe shock from the knocker will he closed against the air-current bysaid gate and its wing, so that the dust which has accumulated upon thecloth-covered sides of the angles or separating-chambers will berelieved from the pressure of the air-currentand be easily detached, andwhen so detached by the shock can fall through a practically deadair-space; otherwise a portion of the dust would be held against thecloth-covered sides of the angles or separating-chambers, and a portionof that liberated would be again carried back by the air-current, whichis constantly passing through the balloon.

In balloons having other than a cylindrical cross-sectional contour thegate, with its wing, might be operated by means of endless belts and berun on endless tracks, suitable modification being made in the gate andaccompanying devices to adapt them to the angles of the balloon.

It will be understood that I do not confine myselt' strictly to theconstruction hereinbefore set forth, as many modifications of thatconstruction might be made without departing from the spiritofmyinvention. Forinstance, the vertical shaft with the arms and gatemight be stationary and the balloon revolve; also, instead ofhaving theknocker protrudethrough the gate,it might operate on the exterior of theballoon, and be so timed as to impart a shock to the angles orseparating-chambers, which are at the time closed. A number of swinginggates could be used hinged to the bars 0 and operated by an armprojecting from a central shaft such as that shown. This constructionwould obviate the necessity of using a knoeker, as the swinging gatescould be given sufficient force in closing the angle orseparating-chamber to impart the required vibration thereto.

The forms of my invention not illustrated in the annexed drawings aredescribed or alluded to simply for the purpose of indicating the scopeof my claims, and to have it understood thatI regard such forms assubordinate to such claims. As I do not desire, and probably would notbe allowed, under the existing rules of practice in the United StatesPatent Office to specifically claim each separate described form of theinvention in this patent, it is unnecessary to illustrate by drawingmore than one practical form.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. Thecombination, substantially as before set forth, of a stellateddust-catching balloon and an automatically-operated cut-eff or gatewithin the same, which periodically cutsoft' the air-current from aportion of the angles or separating-chambers of the balloon to permitthe dust to be shaken from the cloth sides ofsuch cut-01f angles.

2. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a stellateddust-catching balloon and a traveling gate within the same for cuttingofl' the air-current from successive angles of said balloon.

3. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a stellateddust-catching balloon, a traveling gate within the same for cutting offthe air-current from successive angles of said balloon, and a travelingknockel.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL L. BEAN.

\Vitnesses:

SMrTH H. MYERS, PIERCE NoRToN.

